bullivant



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1. W. MBULLIVANT. MANUFACTURE OF TORPEDO NETS AND MEANS FOR ATTAGHING AND WORKING THEM.

Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

I Jnzren'flr; km fie. W

Fla.

(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-- Sheet 2.

Y W. M. BULLIVANT. MANUFACTURE OF TORPEDO NETS AND MEANS FOR ATTAOHING AND WORKING THEM.

No. 379,854. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM MUN TON BULLIVANT, OF 72 MARK LANE, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF TORPEDO-NETS AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING THEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,854, dated March 20, 1888.

Application tiled January 25, 1888. Serial No. 261,911. (No model.) Patented in England September 16, 1885, No. 10,980, and November 19, 1885, No. 14,192; in Italy February 2, 1886v No. 19,220; in Spain September 1,1886, No. 5,552, and November 2, 1886, No. 6,249; in France November 2'7, 1886, No. 179,932, and in Austria-Hungary June 17, 1887, No. 6,306 and No. 27,738.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM: MUNToN BUL- LIVANT, wire-rope manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 72 Mark Lane, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Torpedo-Nets and Means for Attaching Them to Ships or Together and for \Vorking the Same, (for which I have obtained patents in the following countries: Great Britain, N 0. 10,980, dated September 16, 1885, and N 0. 14,192, dated November 19, 1885; Italy, No. 19,220, dated February 2, 1886; Spain, No. 5,552, dated September 1, 1886, and No. 6, 249, dated November 2, 1886; France, No. 179,932, dated November 27, 1886, and Austria-Hungary, No. 6,306 and No. 27,738, dated June 17, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide means whereby torpedo-nets may be readily attached to and be brought to any required position with respect to the ship with which they are used,and also to manufacture torpedonets so that they are expeditiously, conveniently,and securely combined therewith,and attachments or fastenings for connecting the nets to one another or to other parts or places whereto they are required to be fastened when in use.

According to my invention the booms or spars which project from the sides of the vessel to carry the ridge-ropes (or their equivalents, such as rods or the like) upon which the nets are supported or carried are hinged or connected to the vessel in such manner that they can be turned in any desired directionsuch, for example, as upward and downward, or sidewise, or both upward and downwardand to be caused to lie vertically against the sides of the vessel, or to lie horizontally along the sides of the vessel. The ridgeropes are not attached directly to the booms or spars, but to runners or sliders capable of running or sliding longitudinally on guides formed in or on or carried by the booms or spars, the said runners or sliders being provided with ropes or attachments by which they can be moved in one direction or the other along the guides on or in the booms or spars. The booms or spars are continued outward beyond the place where the torpedo-nets are supported when in use by the first ridge-ropes, and to these projecting parts guard-ropes (or their equivalents) are attached, so that they are situated some little distance outwardly of the first ridgeropes. These guard-ropes will intercept attacking boats before they reach the nets. The nets are preferably attached to the ridge-ropes by means of clip-hooks or hooks carried by eyes running upon the ridge-ropes, which cliphooks are attached to the upper row of grommets of the net, and the parts of the net at the sides where they meet are preferably secured by shackles passed through the adjacent side grommets, and secured by a screw or otherwise. These latter modes of fastening replace or supplement the ordinary lashings.

\Vith a torpedo-net attachment constructed and arranged according to my invention, the booms or spars carrying the ridge-ropes and nets can be readily brought up to lie vertically against the sides of the vessel, and the runners or sliders will automatically lower or can be lowered along the guides on the booms or spars to cause the nets to lie in proper position against or near to the sides of the ship, and when the booms or spars are in this position their upper ends can be used as awningstanohions. The nets can readily be attached to the ridge-ropes and be put in position for use (without any necessity for leaving the yessel) bylhauling the runners or sliders up along the guides on the booms or spars to any convenient height to bring the ridge-ropes within reach of the deck of the vessel. The nets are then attached and the booms or spars are lowered, and the nets are then in proper position for protecting the vessel. If the nets be already attached to the ridge-ropes, the

.booms can be simply lowered until their outer ends are below their inner ends, and the nets then will automatically take up their proper position by the runners or sliders moving outwardly along the guides on the booms or spars.

The booms or spars may be made of any suitable material; but a good material for the purpose is steel tubing. The arrangement of runners and guides is such that the spars or booms can be supported by stays attached to the booms or spars between the innermost and.

outermost position of the nets.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings represent,in front elevation, side elevation, and plan, respectively, an arrangement for attaching torpedo-nets to the sides of a ship and for working the same according to my invention; and Figs. 4 and 5 represent,on an ehlarged scale, an elevation and section through the boom or spar turner and its adj uncts, which carry the ridge-ropes to which the torpedonets are connected. Fig. 6 is a plan of the joint by which the boom or spar is connected to the side of the vessel, and Fig. 6 represents in elevation and plan a modification of the joint. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are views (which will hereinafter be more particularly referred to and described) illustrative of devices for securing the net to its support, or for securing together the parts of the net at the sides where they meet.

The booms or spars A are hinged at A to pins B, fitted to turn in socket-pieces 0, secured to the sides of the vessel by preference about level with or a little above the waterline and at suitable distances apart along the whole or any portion of the sides and ends of the vessel. These booms are provided with slots or grooves or projections D,in or on which works the runner or slider E, to which the ridge-rope F is attached. The guard-rope F may be arranged some little distance in advance of the ridge-rope F, for the purpose of intercepting attacking boats before they reach the torpedo-nets attached to the inner ropes, F. The eyes at F? are for the attachment of guard-ropes. The nets G may be attached to the ridge-ropes F by hooks, lashings, or in any other suitable way; but I prefer to connect th em thereto by means of clip-hookssuch, -for example, as are shown in Fig. 7--carried by eyes running on the ridge-ropes, the said hooks engaging the upper grommets of the net.

G is a rope by means of which the runner or slider is run outward.

G is a rope by which the runner or slider is hauled in.

G is a stay to support the boom in or about the center, and G is a rope for supporting the end of the boom and for hauling it into a vertical position.

G is a rope for hauling the boom sidewise.

In making the side or outer rows of grommets or component rings of the net, I work onto or connect with them the rings, eyes, or loops of books or fastenings, which may be of any convenient construction, fitted to form a suitable means for connecting or attaching the nets to each other or to any required place when they are to be combined together and fixed in position.

While not limiting myself to the form of I fastenings hereinafter described, I will now describe, with reference to the accompanying drawings, suitable forms of fastenings for my purpose.

Fig. 8 shows in elevation one form of fasteningin position for securing two nets together, the parts of the adjacent grommets being marked 9.

Fig. 9 shows one of the parts of the fastening separately in edge view. The said fastening consists of two parts, it, each like the link of a chain, but reduced and split at one side or part, as shown at so that two such links can be engaged by passing thercduced and split parts i of the two links through each other and then turning the said links around into the position shown in Fig. .8. Of course one of the parts of the fastening is connected to one net and the other to another net or other place to which the first net is to be fastened.

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 show another form of fastening, Figs. 10 and 12 showing the fastened position and Fig. 11 the unfastened position. It consists of two hooks, O G, reversely placed relatively to each other, as shown clearly in Fig. 11. Each of the parts is worked on the same grommet, g, which passes through the eyes a, with which .each part of the fastening is furnished. The parts being in the open position shown in Fig. 11, the hooks thereof are hooked over adjacent rings or grommets or the place of connection. They are then closed into the position shown in Figs. 10 and 12 and form a fastening which may be further secured by a lashing, as at m, or otherwise, to form between them a kind of eye-piece encircling the grommet or part to which they fasten the net.

Fig. 7 shows a form of fastening of the kind last described, but adapted for working on ridge-ropes. The hooks C (3 are secured by their eyes 0 to a ring, 0 which is worked on the ridge-rope. The hooks O O are engaged with the grommets, as in the former case, and may be similarly secured by a lashing.

Figs. 13 and 14 show another form of fastening, consisting of an eye, Z, on one part and an eye, 9', on the other part, carrying a bar, k, which can be passed lengthwise through the eye 2 and then be turned across the said eye to fix the parts together, as shown in Fig. 14, which shows the parts in their fastened position, Fig. 13 showing the part Zdetached from the part It.

The figures show parts of two grommets of nets which are fastened together; but one of the parts of the fastening may be secured to any other place to which the net is to be attached, it being understood that where the fastening is in two parts, one applied to the net and the other to the place to which the nets are to be attached, either of the two parts may be secured to the net, as may be most convenient. Y

I claim-- 1. In torpedo-net attachments for ships,- the combination, with booms or spars jointed to the side of the ship or other part by which they are supported, of runners mounted and movable on or in longitudinal guides formed on said spars. net carrying ridge ropes or rods extending between the runners, and means for adjusting and holding in position the runners, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The booms or spars connected to the side of the ship by doublejoints, which permit said booms to be turned up or down or sidewise, and the ropes for adjusting and securing said spars, in combination with runners for supporting the net, mounted and longitudinally movable on said booms, and means for adj usting the runners and holding them in their adjusted position, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with two torpedo-nets or net-sections, of a torpedo-net fastening consisting of two links. each reduced and split at one place, one link being worked on the gr0mmets of the net and the otherbeing worked on or secured to the other net, to which the firstnamed net is to be secured, substantially as hereinbefore described,and illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

4. The combination, with two torpedo-nets 25 or net-sections, of a torpedo-net fastening consistin g of two rings or eyes, one worked on the grommets of the net and the other worked on or secured to the other net, to which the first net is to be secured, one of the said rings or 0 eyes carrying a cross-bar, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. of the accompanying drawings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 3 5 scribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MUNTON BULLIVANT.

Witnesses:

HENRY G. FREEMAN, WM. JOHN WEEKS, Both of 9 Birchin Lane, London. 

